The Buford City Arena will play host to the AAAAAA State Semifinals on Friday evening, which will showcase four region winners, all led by terrific guards, whose play has picked up in the postseason. These matchups should make for two entertaining games from four of the classification’s heaviest hitters.
Lanier vs. South Cobb - Friday 4:00pm
Often when teams make runs deep into the postseason, it can be partly attributed to senior guards. These teams feature two of the more important non-power conference signees in the south, Lanier’s Tulane signee Sion James and South Cobb’s Illinois State signee Emon Washington. James has come up big for Lanier with timely buckets in late-game situations to help lift the Longhorns to two straight overtime wins. Things have not been as close for South Cobb, as they have won every game by at least 20 points in the tournament. Washington is averaging over 20 points per game in the postseason, as he did in the regular season. However, it is not just the senior guards who have been standouts for these teams. Lanier junior guard Andrew McConnell and South Cobb sophomore Zocko Littleton (Pictured) have put together important performances in the postseason and their production will needed in this one. The guard play in this match-up should deliver.
Tri-Cities vs. Chattahoochee – Friday, 8:00pm
The defending state champions Tri-Cities will take on Chattahoochee in the second semifinal. Hooch has not lost since early January and is one of the best shooting teams in the state with a backcourt full of shot-makers. Junior point guard AJ White has been terrific down the stretch and led his team when they needed it most. He is joined in the backcourt by Rice signee Cam Sheffield and sharpshooter Franklin Bailey, who are both capable of providing big performances. The Cougars are anchored in the middle by David McDaniel, whose presence on the interior cannot be understated, particularly as a dynamic rim protector. The defending champions will be boosted by the return of junior guard Peyton Daniels, providing an excellent lead guard match-up with White. Expect the Bulldogs to play with good pace as they love to get out and run and can score the ball as good as any team in the state.
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